Help mixing some Bluegrass

  • Thread starter Thread starter powderfinger
  • Start date Start date
Hey powder,
.....wow, I didnt expect this ....COOL!!
....fun listen here man. I wouldnt have a clue how to mix this. Dtb is the man for this, and after reading his reply......... I can see he's on the job.:) Very nice banjo picking in this fer sure. I liked the bg vocs too.... really captured the spirit.
g
 
I'm sure you can, but with the big bleed I haven't been to successful. And I'm still learning this stuff also. I use a Tascam 788. It's effects are the only ones I have. I would think, like you said, with better gear, (and knowhow), one could get some nice results using effects. The only thing I use, like I said, is a small amount of compression. I guess that's why some of our friends here have full blown studios. Man, to be able to play all at once, and get a bass and guitar track down, and go back with the other instruments on seperate tracks. Dreaming again. Gota go get me a lotto ticket. he he he he

Check you pm dude.
 
I have no idea how to mix bluegrass but I've always wanted to learn. On this one, I wanted to shut the verb off and hear it dry--just so I could concentrate more on exactly what the mics are capturing. Its fun stuff to play. Sounds like you guys were having a blast. I like the pre and post performance comments. made me smile!
 
dtb...gotta love the 'hot peppers' Christmas lights!! ha!!

powder... sounds good

Mono IS the ole traditional way... but certainly Bluegrass can come into the 21st century.

even though you used 3 mics, it has the effect of one mic, as the volume relations sound constant thru-out the song...like you guys are just huddled around one mic and not stepping forwards or backwards at the appropriate times. When the banjo does his thing between vocals, it needs to come up...etc. If you are stuck just using 3 mics, maybe postion them so the banjo and gtr are off axis from each other, to minimize the bleed....like facing away from each other. Certainly overdubbing and mixing will solve all the sonic problems, but may lose your "feel" musically when playing.

Banjo is a weird one to mic, but not really so difficult. A very peaky kinda instrument (not unlike a piano, actually). A good room helps alot with this instrument, as if it has a resonator, it will really throw the sound out into the room. An open back banjo will not be nearly so loud, and actually probably too quiet in an acoustic band setup. Close mic'ing can be tricky, as the sound can really change drastically if the player moves around much. Of course the further back the mic, the less these problems are. Picture moving a mic around on a snare drum head while the guy is playing... (VS the overhead mic). If you can overdub your vocals, that might really be the way to go, if you are really wanting more separation...

anywazz...just babbling... (btw...I just got a new Deering banjo myself)
 
Guernica - thanks for checking it out man, always appreciated...

dtb - i pm'd you back...thanks again for all the help.

crawdad - i hear you on the reverb....that has actually been a worry of mine....after reading your post, i went back and listened to it 100% dry, and there seems to be a lack of warmth from the mics....maybe i should try recording it to tape instead of digital, and use no verb........thanks for the insight


mix - thanks for checking it out.....yeah, that's what i'd like to try to do....stay w/ tradition somewhat (ie. the live recording and all), but bring the mix into the 21st century......well put by you........my bro's banjo is a deering by the way....thanks
 
powderfinger said:
Alright, any shared knowledge as to how to record bluegass and mix bluegrass would be greatly appreciated.

My brother's a banjo picker and we've been playing a little lately, so I decided I wanted to learn how to record and mix some bluegass.

This is a one take performance just to have some rough stuff to mix. The performance could obviously be tightened up in some areas, so I'm looking for ideas as how to get the best mix seperation for a recording such as this.

I used three mics. A MXL 93V for the main vocal mic. And an octava 012 on the acoustic, and another one on the banjo. We were playing in pretty close proximity, as we needed to share the vocal mic. There was a lot of bleed on the mics. So again, any ideas how to better track stuff would be great...as well as mix comments.

"Blue Ridge Cabin Home"
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=1642&alid=154
Click to expand...

aside from the poor quality of the mix, the vocals are horrible. i am very familiar with this genre and it takes a great singer to make a song work.

86 the singer. tune your instruments. play to a click track.
 
super_critic - while there has been much debate already as to the merit of your comments, i have no problem with a harsh critique........as i said in my comments...which you quoted, so i have to assume you read, this was a one take deal not focused on performance, as a mixing tool....you still chose mainly to critique the performance, which is fine....however, you noted the "poor quality" of the mix, which again is fine...but then followed that w/ "i am very familiar with this genre "......if this is the case, could you attempt to give some insight as to what kind of mixing and recording techniques are used by a more modern school of bluegrassers......
 
powderfinger said:
super_critic - while there has been much debate already as to the merit of your comments, i have no problem with a harsh critique........as i said in my comments...which you quoted, so i have to assume you read, this was a one take deal not focused on performance, as a mixing tool....you still chose mainly to critique the performance, which is fine....however, you noted the "poor quality" of the mix, which again is fine...but then followed that w/ "i am very familiar with this genre "......if this is the case, could you attempt to give some insight as to what kind of mixing and recording techniques are used by a more modern school of bluegrassers......
Click to expand...

do you own any or Earl Scruggs' stuff? or Ralph Stanley? listening to the masters is the first place I would start.

as far as mixing and recording techniques go... pay particular attention to the pans (right/left) and the placement of the 'forward instruments' (banjo, violin) in the mix.

vocals are what pull songs in this genre through. to sound nasal without sounding like pippy longstocking...

get another vocalist. stay in time. tune your instruments. add bars for improv. cut and paste. track, combine, bus, edit, etc.
 
fbc5b13f.jpg


here's a shot from last night. gathering around the mics.
 
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